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06-02-2009, 03:44 AM   #46
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QuoteOriginally posted by sharpshoota Quote
Pentax makes great cameras and lenses but let's not forget these are the same guys that named the "ist" line of cameras. One of the silliest names I've heard.
Agree! Has the name *ist ever been explained? I've always wondered: "what is it that I don't get?". Then again, people started commenting about K-9 and I had to look that up. K-8, still don't know....

/Tommy

06-02-2009, 03:54 AM   #47
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tommy Quote
Agree! Has the name *ist ever been explained?
Here's an explanation from a K100D review.
QuoteQuote:
The name, “*ist”, was explained to me by a marketing guy from Pentax UK, and to be fair he thought it was a bloody stupid idea too. The asterisk is a wild-card character, you see, and the –ist part is like scientist, or artist, or any other sort of –ist, so with the wild-card it means the camera can be anything you want it to be…
06-02-2009, 03:59 AM   #48
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tommy Quote
Has the name *ist ever been explained?
According to what I've heard, *ist want to denote the possibilities of custom functions introduced with the *ist series, both analog and digital.

Think of artIST, journalIST, ..., *IST in combination.

EDIT:
Arrgh, too late again
06-02-2009, 04:09 AM   #49
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QuoteOriginally posted by pentaxmz Quote
I don't follow your logic. It is common place for newer models to require different batteries, charger, or what ever.
It is not common for Pentax.

QuoteQuote:
Examples: Canon xxD series cannot use the same batteries between some models. And the Canon PowerShot series SDxxx... most need different batteries and accessories.
Ah, now I see from where you are coming...
But in Pentax land, things are different.

For Pentax, it has been common that every camera serie shares accessories.
Do note the difference to Canon - Canon has had their EOS name for a long time, they have sticked to it - but Pentax has had many different names. A new camera serie gets a new name, if it is not getting a new name then it is part of the older serie.

SF-serie, Z-serie, MZ-serie, the film *ist and so on...

QuoteQuote:
Anyhow, I don't really care that much. I am just curious as to where K-7 came from and how does this model relate or fit into the rest of the family: Km, K20D, K2000...
K20D and K200D were part of the old serie, the KxD-serie.
The K-m was the first model in the new "K-"serie. K-7 is the second.
The K20D and K200D does not fit in the new "K-"-serie beacuse they were part of the KxD-serie, not the K-serie.

If we skip the K200D and K20D, of those the K200D is discontinued, we have the K-7 and the K-m. There will be a new K-camera in the near future, to fill the gap between the K-7 and the K-m.

06-02-2009, 04:46 AM   #50
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ok RMabo the question is whether its going to be higher model then k7 or lower, to fill the gap like many said? Its not so obvious.
06-02-2009, 05:36 AM   #51
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any numeral proceeding the K is arbitrary, as long as it hasn't been used already...why not K-9? Why K-7? Why not K-12?, etc etc. It really makes no difference, although I am happy it wasn't ultimately named K-9, for obvious reasons.
06-02-2009, 05:43 AM   #52
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The K-7 competes with Nikon D300, Olympus E-3 and Canon 50D. This is the top, the high-end, of APS-C and 4/3.

Filorp, Do you really see the need or the space for a model above this market segment? Is there even a market segment above the top?

The K-7 is high end. The K-m is low end.
Between high-end and low-end, I do see a gap, a hole, that needs to be filled.
And Pentax will release a new DSLR that fills this hole.
It may be called K-70 or K-700, it doesn't matter. It may even be called K-s or K-a.

The confusion is only temporarily because the K20D is still in production (but will be discontinued later), and K20D was part of a different naming convention than the K-7 is part of. The KxD-serie and the new K-x-serie, does not match each other - things will be more clear when there is no model from the KxD-serie left, and the only thing that is, is the K-x-serie.

06-02-2009, 06:58 AM   #53
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I figured it out!!! The K-7 Model Designation was picked because...

It was to be K-9 because it was due for release in 200"9" when Pentax was designing it.

Then it evolved to K-7 because it is due out in July, the 7th month.

Simple, easy, makes total sense to me ;^)

>>>>

Anyways Pentax confirmed to Mike Johnston of TheOnLinePhotographer ,who was given 2 preproduction K-7 to test and chat about, that K20D has been discontinued. Read that as "out of production", I do. Considering Pentax began the buzz early on K-7 I assume K20D will be available for some time to come. Why spend $670 on K20D when for $630 more you get a K-7 instead ???


From pentax point of view, why build and sell sell a K20D on your website for $799 when you've got a long list of eager K-7 buyers who will buy direct from you, no wholsale, at $1299 ???

I sure won't buy a 2nd K20D now. Will I get K-7? or GH1? or 5DII? for HD Dslr I've got no clue. All I know is I will not drop $670 on a spare K20D now as pentax convinced me K-7 is clearly superior to K20D.



QuoteOriginally posted by Jasvox Quote
any numeral proceeding the K is arbitrary, as long as it hasn't been used already...why not K-9? Why K-7? Why not K-12?, etc etc. It really makes no difference, although I am happy it wasn't ultimately named K-9, for obvious reasons.
06-02-2009, 03:59 PM   #54
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QuoteOriginally posted by RMabo Quote
Answers to some points raised in this thread -

The sensor is designed in co-operation with Samsung and is manufactured by Samsung, just like the "old" 14.6Mp CMOS. It is not made by Sony.

Using the name "K30D" would give a space above the "K30D" and everyone would ask "When is the K3 coming?". Now, K-7 is a perfect name because it clearly shows - it is on the top level, even more top level than the K20D ever was. It competes at the highest level of APS-C market. Oh and if using "K30D" the users of K10D and K20D would get the impression that their existing accessories, like battery grip, could be used. The "K-7" shows that it is not a K10D/K20D-camera with updated electronics, it is a new design. So logical to skip the "K30D" designation for it. It simply looks to much like a new design.

Why "7"? Why not? For this year, Pentax has released digital cameras with '7' in the name: Optio X70, P70, E70 and E70L.

Seriously, Kudos for this explanation! This clearly explains why they choose not to call the camera a Kx0D. It's not quite an adequate explanation why they choose K-7... but like I stated before... I am just happy Pentax listened to my advice and built (what appears to be) a great camera that should attract positive attention.

Hey, it is possible that one of my three letters reached their boardroom.
06-02-2009, 04:46 PM   #55
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QuoteOriginally posted by RMabo Quote
Using the name "K30D" would give a space above the "K30D" and everyone would ask "When is the K3 coming?". Now, K-7 is a perfect name because it clearly shows - it is on the top level, even more top level than the K20D ever was.
as long as pentax keeps producing 35mm lenses and the third party brands still making 35mm lenses in K mount ... me and many others will keep asking where is the camera for these lenses.

the K -7 is top of the line in crop format in this second in time. both Nikon and canon upgrading their cameras twice a year...
Panasonic and Olympus choosing to use small sensors but giving the photographer some really tiny cameras... APS- C becoming more and more boring in the photography world...

I am not an expert by far just a Pentax consumer but I don't see how they are not going to give me a camera with a better format then the current APS-C .. if not this year then next

Last edited by redpigeons; 06-02-2009 at 04:52 PM.
06-02-2009, 07:42 PM   #56
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QuoteOriginally posted by Class A Quote
Here's an explanation from a K100D review.
This is the proper explanation of the *ist name. Believe me, there was a collective groan for everyone in the Pentax USA marketing dept. when we heard this. While not the reason for defecting, right after this decision was made I transferred to the Pentax Sport Optics dept. for over five years (I guess I was scarred by the name). I came back to marketing when we changed to the K-series names.
06-02-2009, 07:50 PM   #57
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QuoteOriginally posted by JCPentax Quote
I transferred to the Pentax Sport Optics dept.
Where you were responsible to introduce the Pentax binoculIST series?
06-03-2009, 12:05 AM   #58
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the main question remains

Why "K"???
No , I dont mean the "K"now as part of the legacy, I mean, why did Pentax use "K" for the mount in th first place?
06-03-2009, 03:05 AM   #59
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QuoteOriginally posted by janneman Quote
Why "K"???
No , I dont mean the "K"now as part of the legacy, I mean, why did Pentax use "K" for the mount in th first place?
Perhaps from the Asahi Pentax K?

06-03-2009, 03:17 AM   #60
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QuoteOriginally posted by janneman Quote
Why "K"???
No , I dont mean the "K"now as part of the legacy, I mean, why did Pentax use "K" for the mount in th first place?
I don't know the answer, but found out the following:

- 1919: Asahi Kōgaku Kōgyō Goshi-gaisha (旭光学工業合資会社)
... The part "Kōgaku" seems to mean "Optical Manufacturer"
... founded by Kumao Kajiwara
- Some Takumar and other lenses are called "Asahi-Kogaku"
- 1957: Asahi Pentax
- 1958: Asahi Pentax K
- 1959: Nikon F which gave name to the "F"-mount as is called the Nikon mount.
- 1973: Asahi Pentax Electro Spotmatic II
- 1975: Asahi Pentax K2 / KX / KM / K1000 which gave name to the "K"-mount.

So, my guess is that single letter names were considered cool when introducing some fundamentally new camera (Nikon F, Pentax K) and Pentax had a tradition to then use the letter K, as in Asahi-Kogaku (Asahi Optical) or the founder's initials.

This is just my guess, though ...


UPDATE

I researched the reason why the 1958 Asahi Pentax K was called K: it was named after the fact that it is the first Asahi camera to introduce 1/1000 s shutter speed, with "k" as in "kilo". The Asahi Pentax K (20k+ units built) was much more successful than Asahi Pentax S and maybe, K kept a good image

Last edited by falconeye; 06-03-2009 at 03:45 AM.
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